Predicting 3 Mets who will survive the trade deadline but won't be back next season

3) Despite having a player option, Omar Narvaez should be traded to a new team in 2024

Originally brought on to ease Francisco Alvarez into the big leagues, Omar Narvaez lost his starting spot after his injury and will remain a backup catcher for the remainder of his time with the Mets.

However, Narvaez would be foolish to not accept his $7 million player option for 2024. Hitting just .222 on the season, that option is far more than he would make on the open market, and his agent probably made up his mind on opting into it months ago. There have been rumors about trading him at the deadline, but if Alvarez's hand injury is serious then all of those are off the table.

Once he does inevitably accept the player option, it would be in the Mets best interest to move him to another catcher needy team in the offseason. While he is having a down year, the former All Star has shown flashes of hitting this season and would be an important piece for several teams with rough catcher situations. The Mets would almost certainly have to eat a portion of his salary, but should be able to obtain a decent prospect or bullpen arm in return if they do so.

Omar Narvaez has been incredibly servicable for the Mets this season, filling the backup catcher role and serving as a mentor for Francisco Alvarez. Despite this, he should still end up on a new team after accepting the player option, and the Mets can use the roster flexibility to upgrade other pieces of their team for 2024.